An Analysis of Designer Inspiration
Gavin Elliott, Creative Director at Carrot Media, recently put together a great post by asking 30 of his fellow designers one question: Where are you most inspired? He posted the uncut individual responses from the designers and left it as a fascinating stand-alone glimpse into the minds of some very creative individuals. Here’s a table summarizing the designers’ responses (Note that some designers gave more than one response):
Other singular responses: In the backyard, At conferences, After leaving the computer, In book shops, At clothing stores, In the bathroom, At home, While surfing, While looking at work of other designers, On the train.
There’s an obvious correlation between inspiration and isolation. I’m sure a lot of designers would admit to coming up with some very innovative ideas in an atmosphere of collaboration, but it doesn’t come out in the responses. The absence of distraction seems to be a unifying theme here.
What About You?
Think back on some of your most creative ideas. What would your friends or coworkers say your most creative ideas have been? Examine how and where those ideas materialized and you have a general recipe for replicating some of the magic the next time you need it. This may mean changing your behavior, your preparation, and your circumstances to optimize for the occasion.
Inspiration and Application
Like many designers, I’ve had some of my brightest ideas as my mind was near sleep. As many of you have probably seen, telling yourself that you’ll remember your idea in the morning doesn’t work. Even if it did, great ideas that can create passion (even if it’s just your own passion) are a rare commodity and should be guarded against loss. I keep a Sticky Note pad and pen next to my bed, ready to scribble in the darkness.
I get inspiration when I’m faced with a question or a problem. Unprompted inspiration is entertaining (like my idea for a three-edged sword), but inspiration that can answer questions and solve problems is always more valuable.
I get inspiration when expectations are low and when I’m not crunched for time. I don’t always have that liberty. I respond by trying to maximize the amount of time I have to work on a problem, thinking about it before it becomes critical, and even letting others know this is when I’m at my best.
My advice is to learn from creative people whenever you can. You need to set aside time to keep ideas in the pipeline and determine which circumstances and situations help you be at your best, creatively. As more people in the world become more and more creative, you don’t have time to sit around and hope that creativity pays you an unexpected visit.
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Tagged as: Creativity · inspiration · self study